Welcome to the Newfoundland Bicycle Tour! Join us for what will certainly be a tour of discovery and adventure. This tour of Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula will not be an everyday bike trip. It will be an excursion of rugged landscape and occasionally challenging elements. Those who accept nature’s challenge will be richly rewarded. To some, the Newfoundland Bicycle Tour will be a challenge, a goal and the satisfaction of completing it. To others, it will be a chance to renew and strengthen friendships, or to make new ones. For a great many, it will be the chance to explore an exotic location. For everyone, it will be an opportunity to see Newfoundland as no other form of travel can.

It will be perhaps the most inexpensive, not to mention fun, vacation of the island available. We have planned this trip with adventurous cyclists in mind. We will have seven full days of cycling, one partial day of biking before our transportation back and two rest/activity days. The tour will a full one, with 663 kilometers of biking (412 miles). The average will be 74 km (46 miles) per day. You can bicycle this amount in five hours or less of actual biking, leaving plenty of time for sightseeing and relaxing. Options will be available for extra cycling each day. Terrain on the western part of Newfoundland ranges from flat to rolling. Our days in Gros Morne National Park have several small mountains. These are challenging but feasible, even for moderate cyclists. Because of distances between communities and variable climate the Newfoundland Bicycle Tour preferably should be more than someone’s first bicycle trip. With the assistance of our support vehicle, we can offer a worry-free tour.

Participants on the Newfoundland Bicycle Tour will explore an area with frontier-like conditions, with long stretches of wilderness in between communities. Everyone, however, will find enough to eat and all our campgrounds will have warm showers. Known as “the rock”, Newfoundland is forested in its interior, but quite rocky and barren along the coast. Often there are barrens, with vegetation and conditions resembling Canada’s north. Winds can be strong. The prevailing direction is from the south, and strong tailwinds are expected for almost every day. We have opportunities to explore the fjords, and perhaps walk up Gros Morne itself! Turning northward at the ocean, we negotiate the park’s immense fjords. Our route then moves along the coast. We will spend several days winding around numerous bays and harbours. Once we get in sight of Labrador, we turn north-east and continue to the tip of the Island. Although sparsely settled, people have lived along this shore for over 9,000 years. Several important archaeological sites will be available for us to explore. Once reaching the very northern end of Newfoundland, we will visit the Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows.

Our tour ends at the only town found on our entire route, St. Anthony. We will no doubt spend our evening there with a wealth of stories from our tour. Early in the afternoon there will be a return shuttle to Deer Lake (included with tour registration).The Newfoundland Bicycle Tour will be a friendly event, with a great deal of socializing. Along the way, we will learn about Newfoundland’s long history, discover its rugged beauty, and experience what makes it distinct. This is a tour which will be both spectacular and memorable!

Saturday, June 29, 2019 – Deer Lake to Trout River 90 km (56 mi.)
We begin our tour at the busy town of Deer Lake. We start off by going westward toward the coast. By late morning we will reach Gros Morne National Park. Taking the southern option of the two routes into the park, we will cross the “tablelands”, rocky barrens formed by the wearing down of very old mountains. The far end of the road at Trout River offers us an incredibly spectacular vista.

Sunday, June 30, 2019 – Trout River to Rocky Harbour 42 km (26 mi.)
Today we return through the tablelands to take a boat crossing to the northern side of the park. After a ride from we we disembark at Norris Point to Rocky Harbour, there will be time for a short hike, a swim at the pool, or perhaps some photography at the Lobster Cove lighthouse.

Monday, July 1, 2019 – Activity Day in Gros Morne National Park
We will take a day to explore the National Park, viewing its magnificent fresh-water fjords and many pleasant trails. There are also kayaking and many photo-taking opportunities.

Tuesday, July 2, 2019 – Rocky Harbour to Portland Creek 87 km (54 mi.)
Turning northward at the ocean, we negotiate past Gros Morne National Park’s immense fjords. There are several short hikes available as well as boat tours of the fjord at Western Brook Pond. We end not far from a small active Newfoundland fishing village.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019 – Portland Creek to Port au Choix 87 km (54 mi.)
Enjoy the spectacular coastal scenery. The prevailing tailwinds are usually very strong at this point. There are several scenic look-offs today as well as an ecological reserve and an active salmon river. We end at the small seaport of Port au Choix. A national historic site, it is the location of one of the most important archaeological sites concerning the history of aboriginal people. The lighthouse stands at the furthest point west on the peninsula. It offers spectacular photography.

Thursday, July 4, 2019 – Port au Choix to St. Barbe 92 km (57 mi.)
We wind around numerous bays and harbours. People have lived along this shore for over 9,000 years. There is another important archaeological site at Bird Cove. We are now in sight of Labrador.

Friday, July 5, 2019 – Day Ride to Labrador (various distances).
Today we take a boat ride to the immense territory of Labrador. The icy channel between the island and the mainland is home to whales, seabirds, and occasional icebergs. Remarkably different from Newfoundland, Labrador’s coast is treeless and extremely rugged. We explore along the rugged coast and return back to the island in the late afternoon.

Saturday, July 6, 2019 – St. Barbe to Pistolet Bay 125 km (78 mi.)
We turn north-east to cross a long barren lonely stretch of Newfoundland’s northern interior. The vegetation and conditions here resemble that of Canada’s north. A diversion allows us to go to the far northern tip of Newfoundland. This is the longest day of any Atlantic Canada Cycling tour. It passes through a wilderness area with very few services. The usual prevailing tailwind should lessen the effort here rounding the tip of the island. As we do every day, and especially for this long day, our support vehicle will along the route, offering assistance and rides for anyone desiring to shorten the distance. We camp in an attractive forest setting.

Sunday, July 7, 2019 – Day Ride to St. Lunaire and l’Anse Aux Meadows 74 km (46 mi.)
Today we go to L’anse aux Meadows, site of the discovery of Viking life in North America. A UNESCO world heritage site, we will experience what life was like 1000 years ago. We also explore the traditional Newfoundland fishing village of St. Lunaire and several others. It is our last night together – let’s party!

Monday, July 8, 2019 – Pistolet Bay to St. Anthony 28 km (17 mi.) and transportation from St. Anthony to Deer Lake
Our last day. It is on to St. Anthony, and the end of our tour. We manage to get a few hours of cycling in before departure and ride to the tip of the island. The view is incredible, one of the best of the trip, with good chances of spotting icebergs.

We gather for last photographs together overlooking the cliffs, before boarding arranged transportation back to Deer Lake. This transportation from our end point of cycling at St. Anthony back to Deer Lake is included with your registration. It leaves St. Anthony late in the morning and arrives in Deer Lake in late afternoon (we will not arrive at Deer Lake until late afternoon, do not book an early flight out). An optional ACC shuttle to Nova Scotia leaves the next morning from Newfoundland. Contact us well in advance if you may want to be part of this option.

Tour Details

What We Provide:
– Comprehensive ride guide; all about what you will experience on route, history, culture, trivia -camping facilities -luggage transfer; we will carry your gear, just bike and enjoy the ride! -bike mechanic assistance -sag wagon service –support vehicle available for breakdowns or drives to shorten your day -daily route maps -tour escort; Gary Conrod will be along the route, he has 180,000 kilometres cycling experience, including a large amount of the island of Newfoundland and into Labrador -shuttle across Bonne Bay -ferry to and from Labrador -indoor accommodation at Port au Choix -return bus and bicycle transportation from tour end point to Deer Lake.

About Our Tours:
Our tours are different! We run friendly and fun bicycle-camping trips. There are not many groups left like us out there doing this. Running inexpensive tours by camping and not doing inns is now a rarity. We have done it this way since way back in 1987. It gets a little bit harder each year to crawl in and out of tents – we are not getting any younger, but we would still rather be doing it our way – under the stars.

Our events usually have between 18 and 35 people, the majority older adults. Since our camping groups are a bit larger compared to inn to inn tours, there are far greater chances of finding others with the same interests. During a week to 10 day tour everyone gets to know pretty well everyone else. Rather than a tour with just a handful of people, possibly none you have things in common with, our size allows a wide range of personalities, interests, and similar riding speeds. We feel our trips are just the right size for fitting in. Lots of friendships are made on our tours.

We run our tours in prime natural settings in Eastern and Atlantic Canada. Our tours are a bit harder to get to – they will need more planning. Running events in remoter regions with limited options raises costs a bit more than if we did them in busier places. We feel getting away from the heat, humidity, cities, stress, tension, and traffic makes the experiences we offer completely worth it. Our return rate is among the highest of any cycling organization – as high as 90% on some tours, so overall people seem to love what we are doing and value their experiences.

Accommodation:
Our trip will be a tent camping adventure, but for some who say their camping days are behind them can join in on our journeys. A limited number of Bed and Breakfasts and motels are along our route. Upon request, a listing of motels and Bed and Breakfasts will be sent with confirmation. Due to the small places we go to, early reservations are strongly recommended.

Meals:Each cyclist can have their own choice of dining. Some prepare meals at our campsites. Participants buy food daily at designated spots and we transport it to the end point. We have a large amount of cooking stoves, equipment, and cutlery – no need to bring any of that gear to our tour. Others prefer to enjoy as many restaurants as the route allows. We will provide a list each day of what you will find along our route.

Baggage System:
Each morning you will bring your baggage to our truck. You are then free to ride at your own pace. Your bags will be waiting for you upon your arrival at the next campground or indoor selection.

Tour Support:
During the ride, our support vehicle will be at your service if you need a lift or other assistance. Maps and information materials will help guide you along the way.

Preparation and Equipment:
We will carry whatever you feel you need to enjoy the tour. You must supply your own bicycle, tent and sleeping bag.

Join Us On Our Tour!

Entry Fee:$1644 CAD (Canadian Dollars)

Returning Participants Appreciation:
We are proud of having among highest the return rates of all bicycle touring organizations. In appreciation, we wish to offer returning riders $100 off before March 31 and $50 off after.

Entry Options:
*Credit Card - (Visa and MasterCard) - We put cards through by phone to avoid sensitive information passing through our web site. Please call us at 888-800-2498; or 902-423-2453. Please also for security reasons, do not send credit card numbers by email or text. American and foreign participants have the Canadian amount converted to their currency at the current exchange rate.

*PayPal - we can send you an email with a link that goes to our PayPal page. American and foreign participants have the Canadian amount converted to their currency at the current exchange rate.

*Personal Cheque or Money Order - Postal mail: PO Box 1555 Stn CRO Halifax NS B3J 2Y3 Canada. Note that the bank rate is different than the "paper" rate. Use this link on the day you send payment Exchange Rates Use the column (Client Sells - Receives Canadian). If the math gets complicated contact us and we will help sort it out. Note that the postage rate to Canada is higher than U.S. domestic rate, ask what it currently is, mail can be turned back.

*Wire Transfer - please contact us and we will check if this can set up without unreasonable charge from your area.

Youth and Child Rates:
We have rates for youth and children, please contact us for details.

Taxes:
All taxes are included.

Deposits – Getting on Board:
To secure a spot on one of our trips a $300 deposit is required. Full payment is due 60 days prior to the day of departure. If we do not receive your final balance on time, we will consider your reservation cancelled. We will attempt to remind you as the date nears.

Cancellations and Change to Later Trip Charges:
We understand things happen in life and sometimes you have to cancel or defer your bike tour. A fair amount of work and arrangements are involved with each registration ACC receives and the cancellation timeline outlined below is strictly adhered to. Exceptions will not be made for any reason. This includes weather or personal emergencies. We highly suggest that you purchase travel insurance. There are many companies that offer inexpensive trip insurance, and we recommend you look into it.

Your cancellation fee will be determined based on the day the written notice is received. There is no refund if you arrive late or must leave a tour early.

Change to later Trip Option - Registrations may be forwarded to a future event within 3 years with the timeline outlined below. Moving your tour ahead is a better deal than the costs of cancelling outright.

Cancellation Fee

Over 60 Days

refund minus $200

31-60 Days

refund minus $400

16-30 Days

50% of trip price

15 Days or less

no refund

Change to Later Trip Fee

Over 60 Days

$100 fee; remaining credit may be used within 3 years

31-60 Days

$200 fee; remaining credit may be used within 3 years

16-30 Days

$300 fee; remaining credit may be used within 3 years

15 Days or less

$400 fee; remaining credit may be used within 3 years

Travel Insurance:
Since there are no exceptions to the cancellation policy outlined above, unfortunately including personal emergencies, we highly recommend that each participant have cancellation and travel insurance. This type of insurance covers illness, accident, loss of luggage, or other unforeseen occurrences. In addition, we also recommend travelers health insurance to supplement your own medical insurance. Atlantic Canada Cycling does not provide travel insurance or health/accident insurance. This is strictly the participant’s responsibility.

Cancellation of Event:
Atlantic Canada Cycling has never had a cancelled event in its twenty-seven years. We do, however, reserve the right to cancel any scheduled tour. In this event you will receive a full refund of any money paid (for tour operation only). In this event ACC is not responsible for expenses incurred by individuals in preparation for the trip such as non-refundable airline tickets, medical expenses, equipment etc.

ACC Registration Form:
Our Participant Form is below. It should open in a new page in your browser. If not, try to right click and “save target as”, "file as" or "linked content as", depending on your browser to download. The form requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is on most computers but if not you can download from Adobe. If you have problems, please contact us, we can email or fax a form to you. [email protected] Call us at 888-800-2498

Nova Scotia Bicycle Tour
The Atlantic Ocean coastline, the lush Annapolis Valley, and the misty shores of the famed Bay of Fundy.

Gaspe Bicycle TourA unique land within North America. A long time major destination for Quebec cyclists, the Gaspe will be a great experience.

P. Bresnick

I think it was well organized. Overall though the coffee was always ready, and the gear ready at the end of the day. The food and beer stops were easy to find. I think everyone in your organization wanted to make it successful for all the riders.

L. Monet

I loved it. It was one of the greatest experiences I had. The people were so friendly! You did a wonderful job to organize this tour!!

A. Kadar

I definitely feel that I got my money's worth from the trip, and will probably do another one of your excursions sometime soon.

J. Brougher

I think the routes, the mileage, the sequence of the challenges, were all just right... At first, I was thinking the days were too short, but then I realized that not only was there plenty else to do, but there was lots of recovery time for the next challenge.